I’ve wrote several updates about this topic throughout the years (search “Contortion” in my blog’s search bar and you’ll find them there), each time adding a deeper layer on the matter.

Today I’m sharing what I’ve learned in 14 years of Contortion, which I’ve kept practicing religiously during all this time. In the past two years, I’ve had to face some injuries, which made me realize even more how important is training with longevity in mind, rather than idolizing peak performance. I’ve talked a lot about sustainability on social media as well, which goes hand in hand with longevity.

These are the 10 biggest lessons I learned by training Contortion as an adult (starting at 27 yo), without a gymnastic background and without a high degree of natural back flexibility (I do have some natural flexibility in my low back and hips).

1. Letting go of your ego.

This one is MAJOR. In order to keep going in Contortion, you gotta stop competing – with yourself, with others. Social media has inflated everyone’s ego, pushing people to improve themselves (which is positive) but also to overdo it to gain admiration and followers, often times at the cost of their health. So many stay quiet about being injured, others totally disappear unable to keep training like they used to, ashamed and feeling “not cool” anymore. Truth is, the body brings the bill eventually. If you annihilated your system for years, you’ll have to deal with the consequences – nobody is immune to this. Your best bet is learning to train for your own interest, not online praise – listening to your body and following the points I’ll talk about below. Your ego needs to be put aside, used only when it’s actually useful (pushing through a tired day, healthy challenges etc).

2. “Know where to push, where to maintain and where to pull back”.

I read this quote from Katie Soner and it immediately rang a bell. “YES”, I thought, “that’s what longevity is about”. It’s training not just hard, but intelligently. Knowing your strengths, your weaknesses, but also knowing where in your body is okay to push, to maintain and where you might need a lighter approach for the time being. “To stay the same, you can’t be doing the same forever”: the body thrives on repetition but paradoxically needs consistent revision in how to go about maintaining and nurturing high performance.

3. Checking with your body after sessions.

I feel this is an underrated habit. I know it’s important to check on how you feel during your sessions or immediately after. But truthfully, to know if your training is beneficial rather than either too intense or aggressive (or bland), checking on how you feel the next day is even more valuable. Why? During and right after training, your body is inundated with chemicals (adrenaline, endorphins, cortisol, dopamine to name a few) and you can’t judge correctly the effects of training. The next day is a lot more informative: are you sore, but mostly from muscular exertion rather than feeling pain or discomfort locally? Has inflammation settled down and you feel rested, or you’re feeling fatigued and achey? Do you feel like you could do it all over today? A good session can leave you sore (not necessarily, but a bit of soreness is expected) but not creating noticeable pain, especially around joints. Training also too lightly might be something not conducive to progressive improvement.

4. If injured or old injuries flare up, get to the root cause and modify training meanwhile.

This is imperative. You MUST handle your injuries because they simply won’t handle themselves (unless they’re minor twitches). I swore I’d do anything in my power to restore my health when injured, because I NEVER want to be that person that goes on hurting and training. So last year, I invested in my healing (an old shoulder and hip injury) using regenerative medicine (Stem cells + exosomes, PRP, peptides, RLT) and physical therapy. I took time off and modified my training: it has been so encouraging to get back and feeling a lot better. Don’t sleep on healing.

5. Nutrition, sleep and intelligent supplementation.

This is a no brainer but I feel many still mess it up. Your diet must include predominantly simple, whole foods. You need to consume enough protein, healthy fats AND carbs. If you’re training Contortion, high quality food is essential for your recovery and to lower systemic inflammation, which intense training will trigger. Obviously, enough water is necessary as well (yet it’s so easy to be dehydrated).

SLEEP IS NUMBER ONE. Training can’t thrive without proper sleep, so protect your sleep ( go to sleep at the same time, limit screen time, sleep in a cool and dark room etc) . Lastly supplementation: find what your body needs (lab tests are the only way to find out) and top it off with some well studied supplements (omega 3’s, magnesium, collagen, glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM and such).

6. Prehab/rehab, conditioning and strength training are non negotiables.

People who don’t know this, will find out eventually, because Contortion isn’t sustainable without some form of strength. Now, which form will be subjective and based on preference (even if you don’t like weight training, you’ll be better off with it as it’s the #1 activity that build quality muscle, and muscle = longevity + strong bones). If you’re struggling with combining strength and Contortion, that’s my specialty so you might want to get on a consultation to work with me. It’s possible (and sustainable) to combine flexibility and strength and they absolutely need each other.

7. Realistic volume, frequency.

I’m so sick of “stretch everyday” or “go to a retreat and train 7 days straight” mentality. Who wants to stretch everyday? Why would you train 7 days straight to then need a week off to recover (hopefully not hurt from it)? If you’re over 30, not planning to be a full time circus artist, there is no reason why you should train as hard and as intense. Rest is a very underrated aspect of training. When I tell people I train Contortion 2, max 3 times per week, they’re utterly surprised. Yes, I love to train long and hard. Yes, I need 2 days off to recover from it in between. Does it mean I program each client the same? No, but I make sure their frequency and volume is gradual and mostly sustainable. My favorite question is: “How much can you train on your worst week?“, that’s how you gauge consistency potential.

8. Rotating intensity and trick choice matter.

I’m very tuned in with rotation and trick choices. At 14 years of training, I know now:

• what I enjoy training and can perform day in and day out (my non negotiables)

• what I want to improve and make it a non negotiable – yet I’d choose a regression of the trick I’m working on if I’m having a difficult/tight day

• what I choose to work on/revisit sometimes, but not in each session: depending how my low back or shoulders are feeling

• what I don’t do anymore or very rarely (tricks that doesn’t feel good no matter how I go about it, not favorable by my proportions or where my flexibility tends to be dominant).

• what old tricks, transitions or sequences I want to revisit or new ones I want to try.

9. Solid, unshakable foundation (consistency over intensity).

This is something huge I learned when dealing with injuries. After some needed rest (especially after stem cells or PRP), my body craved its training rhythm more than the intensity. It’s hard to modify and adapt: mentally and physically you feel weaker and your mind comes up with a load of negative self talk you gotta ignore. You gotta take a day at a time, practicing patience and trust. Give your body consistency, even with minimal training, even if it’s just physical therapy. Keep the training schedule alive – intensity will come back as your body gain trust again in the movement it’s familiar with.

10. It gotta still be fun.

I’d never train Contortion if I didn’t enjoy it to some degree. Like in all things, you become good at them when you love and enjoy them. I enjoy challenging my body, seeing it overcome difficult tasks, adapting, getting wiser, stronger, suppler. It makes me happy, powerful – it makes me feel alive.

So here you have it… what I learned in 14 years of training this discipline. It has formed me and I’ve learned I’m so much stronger than I ever imagined, physically and mentally. I hope you found it helpful and it can help your journey, whatever it is.

With love 🙂